Tadpole Shrimps

A few years ago, someone sampling water from one of the small ponds out on the merse suddenly noticed the biggest fresh water shrimp he'd ever seen in his life. It turned out to be an extremely rare shrimp found only in one other place in the UK. Eggs can live for dozens of years until the right temperatures and conditions enable hatching. This single pond at Caerlaverock is the only place in Scotland where tadpole shrimps have been found. To see them at close quarters visit the Wetland Centre's special aquarium.